Fatherhood 101
by sheabaybay12
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki had faced the evil organization that was Akatsuki, saved his village from Pein, and stopped Madara Uchiha from destroying the world, yet he was terrified of the idea of becoming a parent. Canon!verse NaruHina and others
1. Fatherhood 101

Fatherhood 101: A Naruto Fanfic

"Naruto-kun...I'm pregnant." The blonde-haired ninja stared blankly at the love of his life.

"...E-eh?" Had he heard that right? He blinked, searching for some hint of a joke in Hinata's pale eyes.

"Naruto-kun?" White eyes shone genuine. Definitely not a joke. Hinata's eyebrows knitted together on her face, her expression shifting into one of distress. Had she said something wrong? Why wasn't her husband saying anything?

"N-Naruto-kun? Are you oka-"

"That's great, Hinata!" The black-haired woman found herself suddenly lifted high into the air by her waist, spun around in a circle as the man holding her graced her with a brilliant smile. "I'm so happy I could cry!" He lowered her back down to the ground and quickly embraced her in his arms, squeezing her body gently to his. "Really Hinata..." Naruto said, softly. "This is great..."

Hinata sighed with relief at Naruto's acceptance. She'd been afraid for a moment that he might be upset with her, but now it seemed like he was truly happy for them. After all, the child currently growing inside of her was _their_ child. _Their family_. Hinata knew that to Naruto, who had grown up without a family, this child would be very important. A chance at a life that he had not yet been allowed to live. Hinata smiled into her husband's shoulder, glad that things had worked out.

Naruto Uzumaki, jounin of Konohagakure and hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War was freaking out. _Pregnant!_ Hinata was _pregnant!_ _With his child!_ A living, breathing extension of himself. Now don't misunderstand, Naruto wasn't freaking about because he didn't want the child; on the contrary, the prospects of starting a family of his own were as enticing as a piping hot bowl of Ichiraku ramen.

But...it was unexpected; hell, it had blindsided him completely. He and Hinata hadn't even been trying for a baby, hadn't even talked about it. And now suddenly, Hinata was pregnant and Naruto was going to be a father. _A father._ The idea, oddly enough, scared the hell out of him. Naruto Uzumaki had faced the evil organization that was Akatsuki, saved his village from Pein, and stopped Madara Uchiha from destroying the world, yet he was terrified of the idea of becoming a parent. It was pathetic really, of a ninja of his caliber to be thrown off by something so mundane, yet here he was, practically trembling as he held Hinata to his chest. Luckily, Hinata seemed to take his trembling as that of excitement rather than fear.

He had to be careful not to let her find out how afraid he was. It could break her heart if he told her.

Later that night, while Hinata lay sleeping by his side, Naruto tossed and turned in his bed, sleep eluding him entirely. Every time he closed his eyes, thousands of voices would echo throughout his mind, all saying the same thing; _you can't do it. You can't be a father. _

And the voices were right. How could he, someone who has never before had a family, come to care for a helpless being like a child. What if he couldn't raise him right; what if he failed as a parent and his child ended up growing up wrong? Naruto couldn't shake such thoughts from his brain, and finally, he gave up on trying to sleep all together, slipping silently out of bed, pulling on a white shirt and some pants and heading out the door for some fresh air.

The night air was cool and crisp, the wind blowing gently through the dimly lit streets of Konohagakure. It was late, so there were scarcely any people to be found wandering outside, much to Naruto's relief. How could he explain to someone why he was walking around the village in the dead of night?

His mind still reeling from Hinata's announcement, Naruto let his feet absent-mindedly lead him down the streets, hardly noticing that they ended up bringing him to a familiar bench under a street lamp. Naruto remembered, all those years ago, sitting here under the flickering light, grieving for the man whom he had come to know as one of his closet father figures. Back then, it had seemed like the Ero-sennin had been the only real family he'd had.

But now, now he had Hinata, and even though they were long gone, he could still visit Minato and Kushina's graves. He wasn't alone anymore, yet why did he have that same cold pit in his stomach that he'd had when the villagers used to look at him as nothing more than a monster? Such memories made him think of the creature still sealed within his body, only this time, the monster fox had become his partner in battle rather than his enemy. Glancing down and resting a hand gently on his naval, Naruto decided to ask the Kyuubi what he should do.

"Kurama?" Naruto asked, and suddenly, the streets of Konoha were gone, the inner workings of his mind stretched out before him, and the great monster fox staring down into his eyes.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kurama answered. The great fox was laying down, one giant paw folded over the other as he looked down expectantly at his vessel.

Naruto pulled a face. "Don't act like you don't know," he grumbled. "I'm sure you were listening in, ease-dropping as always."

The tailed beast scoffed. "Are you insinuating that I have nothing better to do than sit around and peek in at your every conversation? I may be stuck in here most of the time, Naruto, but your life isn't _that_ interesting."

"Alright, alright already, I get it." Naruto grumbled apologetically. He was in no mood for the fox's usual banter.

"Just tell me what's on your mind, kid." Kurama replied.

"Hinata...Hinata's..."

"Out with it already, I could be sleeping right now, you know!"

"Okay! Okay! Er...Hinata's pregnant..."

"Really?" Kurama started, eyes widening, before his snout split into a crooked grin. "Well congratulations, brat! Never thought you had it in ya!"

"Hey, hey, listen to me, will ya?!" Naruto interrupted. Kurama's grin faded a bit and he nodded.

"I, uh, well," Naruto stammered, itching his cheek with a finger nervously.

"You're afraid, aren't you? Of becoming a father."

Naruto's face turned red and he puffed out his cheeks. "Don't try to hide it, kid, I know every thought you've ever had." Kurama stated.

"Hey!" Naruto snapped. "I thought you said you didn't listen in on my conversations!"

"You're conversations and your internal thoughts are two different things. I can block both of them out, usually, but because you're stressing yourself out, you've been bombarding me with thought after thought about this whole 'father' business. Just let it go already."

"Easy of you to say! You're not the one whose gonna be having a kid pretty soon!" Naruto said in protest, and as if saying it out loud made it seem more real, the weight of the situation hit Naruto like a ton of bricks. "Holy shit...I'm gonna be a dad..." he said, staring wide-eyed at nothing. He remained unmoving for a few moments before lifting his head up to the Kyuubi once more.

"Kurama...what am I going to do? I'm so scared." he asked desperately. His tailed beast partner looks down at him sympathetically. "I can't give you an answer, Naruto," he replied. "I've never had children before myself."

At those words, Naruto found himself crouched to the floor of his own mind, burying his face in his arms. "What do I do? What do I do?! I don't want to mess up! I'm not ready! There's still so much I don't know yet!" He felt like crying, but managed to keep his tears at bay.

"Naruto..." Kurama said gently. "There's someone approaching you in the real world."

Reluctantly, Naruto lifted his head from his arms and simultaneously exited his mind, finding himself sitting back on the bench, staring down at a pair of open-toed shoes in front of him. He glanced up at the owner, eyes eyes widening at who it was. "Iruka-sensei..." Naruto gasped, and his former teacher smiled warmly at him.

"Can I sit?" Naruto nodded and the chūnin settled down beside him.

"What are you doing out so late, Naruto?" the older man asked.

"I could ask you the same thing." Naruto countered, to which Iruka gave him another small smile.

"Hinata sent me. She said you left the house all of a sudden and asked me to come find you. She's worried."

Naruto doesn't say anything, his eyes training on the pavement beneath his feet.

"Ah!" Iruka suddenly let out a loud sigh, startling Naruto from his musings. "This brings back memories, doesn't it? The two of us, sitting side by side like this-reminds me of all those times I would treat you to ramen at Ichiraku's, ne? You've sure grown a lot since then!" He grinned at his former student, who offered him a blank stare in return, his face void of his usual carefree expressions.

"Naruto..." Iruka sighed again, his grin dropping. "You know you can talk to me, right? If something is bothering you, you don't have to keep it to-"

"I'm gonna be a father..." Naruto interrupted, refusing to move his gaze from the ground. Iruka blinked back in surprise. "But that's..." he started, but paused. "...Is that why your upset?"

Naruto didn't respond at first, his fists clenching in one another's grip. "I know; it's stupid for me to feel this way." the blonde-haired ninja said. "I should be happy...and, well, I'm not _unhappy,_ I just..."

"It's okay to feel like you're not ready, Naruto," Iruka replied, and Naruto turned his head to glance up at the older man. "Every parent goes through similar feelings; believe me, I know."

"But you don't..." Naruto trailed off when Iruka flashed a smile at him. He knew what Iruka meant, knew what the older man felt for him. Minato Namikaze may have been his real father, but the one who had always been there for him, the one who had always supported and cheered him up had been Iruka.

"You're a lot like me, Naruto." Iruka continued. "And I'm not taking about how we both lost our parents to the demon fox, er, sorry, _Kurama_." Within his mind, Naruto could hear Kurama scoffing to himself. "You care for others deeply to the point where you don't want them to fail..and you feel directly responsible if they do. Like with Sasuke...and Neji." He paused, noting the look of pain on his former student's face. Even ten years after the war, the wounds were still fresh in the young war hero's mind. "And now...with this new child. You're afraid Naruto; I can tell. You're afraid to fail this child like you failed to bring Sasuke back all those years ago, like you failed to save Neji and all the rest in the war."

"Stop..." Naruto interrupted and Iruka could see his eyes beginning to swim with intense pain.

"But I was afraid once too. I was afraid to fail you as a teacher, and as a parent." Naruto's eyes were watering as he stared at his former sensei. "But look at you, Naruto; look at what you've done! You started off as nothing but a troublesome kid with an unreachable dream, and now, now you're practically there! A war hero, Hokage candidate; you did it all yourself, Naruto, because you believed that you could. And because...I let you follow your own path."

"Iruka-sensei..." Naruto couldn't seem to find the right words.

"You told me once, back when Pein attacked the village, that you met your father, and he told you something important. Do you remember what he said?"

Naruto sniffled, wiping his tears away with his sleeve. "He...he told me he believed in me." he murmured, to which Iruka smiled.

"In this world, people have to make their own choices in life, whether others agree with them or not." he said. "Sasuke chose to follow his ambitions and left Konoha of his own free will, despite your desire for him to stay. Neji sacrificed his life to save yours, even though he knew it would hurt the ones he loved. And a parent is no different, Naruto. In the end, no matter what you do, your child carries his own choices and as a parent, you have to find the courage to stand by them and support them, even if your entire body is telling you to protect them from the very thing they want to do."

"So you're saying..." Naruto stared, biting his lip nervously. "That no matter what I do, my kid will just be destined to fail and I won't be able to do anything about it?!" His eyes wide and his figure shaking, Naruto gripped his hair, a new wave of anxiety crashing over him.

"That's not what I'm saying at all, Naruto. Take a deep breath and relax." Iruka ordered, and reluctantly, the younger ninja complied, swallowing as much of his fear as he could manage. Once he thought he had calmed down enough, Iruka began again. "I'm not saying anyone is destined to fail; if anyone knows a thing about changing one's destiny, it's you, Naruto." Iruka explained, and Naruto nodded slowly, recalling that day, so many years ago, where he stood strong with his resolve in front of Neji Hyuuga.

_"__These eyes have shown me that people's limitations are set, fixed, and unchangeable. Only a fool wastes time trying to become something he can never be! The only destiny that everyone shares...is death. Why do you go against destiny so much?"_

_"__Because I was called a loser!"_

"Yeah..." Naruto sighed in agreement. How could he have forgotten what he had taught Neji that day...and what Neji had taught him.

"But just as someone else can't decide your destiny for you, you cannot decide the destiny of your child." Iruka continued. "And just as I couldn't stop you from charging onto the battle field, you cannot stop the decisions your child will make. You can only do your best to help them along and watch them grow. _That _is what it means to be a parent."

As Iruka finished speaking, Naruto thought of all that he had said. He thought of Sasuke, choosing his ambitions over friendship, and of Itachi, who made the ultimate sacrifice for his brother. He thought of Neji's decision to choose his own death, rather than have it decided for him, and of Minato's faith in his son to do what he thought was right. Every single one of them had made their own decisions, chosen their own paths, even if there weren't always what everyone else agreed with. _They _still saw it as right. And the more Naruto thought of it, the more he realized that Iruka was right as well. True, he'd never before had a family to care for, or any experience in taking full responsibility for another living creature, but that didn't mean he wasn't capable, right? He had failed more times than we could ever count, but hadn't he also succeeded as well?

Naruto decided to make a resolve right then and there: No matter how his child turned out, he would always support him no matter what. _I'll believe in his choices, just like my dad believed in me, _he thought.

Having finally calmed down from his anxiety, and strengthened his own resolve, Naruto sat up and turned to Iruka, flashing the chūnin his first genuine smile all night. "Thanks, Iruka-sensei." he said.

The older man smiled back. "No problem. I'm always here if you need me." Naruto nodded in agreement, and for a moment, the two sat on the bench in silence, simply enjoying one another's company and cool breeze blowing through their hair.

For the first time all night, Naruto felt the weight of his stress lifted from his shoulder. Things were going to be okay. Hinata was pregnant and he was going to be a father for the first time in his life, and sure, that was scary, but things would work out. As long as he had the support of Iruka-sensei and his friends. Everything would be fine.

"Oh, by the way, Naruto," Iruka spoke up again.

"Hm?"

"You should probably start doing some research pretty soon."

"Hah?" Naruto asked, cocking his head to the side. "Research? For what?"

"Well getting through your first father jitters is one thing, but you have to remember that you're going to be having a baby in nine months-well Hinata is, but well, you get my point. And babies are a whole different story."

"But Iruka-sensei!" Naruto protested. "You said as long as I trust my kid and let them follow their own choices, everything would be fine!"

Iruka shot him a dry look. "Don't be an idiot, Naruto. Babies can't make their own decisions; they're babies! They can't do anything on their own so you have to learn how to take care of them."

"T-take care of it? How?!"

"I told you-research. You have to learn how to hold them properly, heat up their bottles and feed them, change their diapers, bathe them, take care of them when they get sick, make sure-"

Iruka's voice began to fade as the blood rushed to Naruto's head, and he felt his entire body grow dizzy with stress once again. Who knew that a baby was so much work!

"Oh, and you'll want to be a little careful with Hinata from now on." Iruka added.

"Hinata? Why?" Naruto asked, confused. Surely Hinata wasn't going to need help bathing-she hated having to depend on people anyway.

"Listen carefully, Naruto, because this is the most important piece of advice I can give you. Even more important than everything I said before."

Naruto gulped in fearful anticipation. What could be worse than that? "W-what is it?" he stammered.

"When a woman is pregnant, her hormones go crazy inside of her." Iruka stated. "She'll start having morning sickness, strange food cravings, and will have insane, out-of-nowhere emotional outbursts."

"Hinata? Emotional outbursts? That's crazy, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto chuckled.

"I'm not kidding, Naruto," Iruka said solemnly, his expression one of dread that made a shiver run up Naruto's spine. "The quiet ones are always the worst. If you're not careful, she'll really kill you."

_"__E-eh?!"_

*End*


	2. Pregnancy Blues

Chapter Two: Pregnancy Blues

_Iruka-sensei was right, _Naruto thought gravely as he ran hastily down the dark street, a small plastic bag gripped firmly in one hand. It was one o'clock in the morning, and instead of being fast asleep in his nice, comfy bed, Naruto Uzumaki was returning from a late night run to the store for-Naruto made a face of disgust-raw zucchini and red bean paste. He doubted that any sane person would think to put the two foods together, but he kept his mouth shut in fear of getting smacked...or yelled at...or cried on. Naruto shook his head, cursing himself for doubting Iruka for even a moment. The man had known what he was talking about, no matter how farfetched it had sounded at the time.

_I'm just glad I found a store that was actually still open,_ Naruto thought, not wanting to wonder what would've happened to him had he returned home empty-handed. The thought itself made the blonde-haired ninja cringe outwardly and he quickly picked up his pace until he was practically jumping from roof to roof at breakneck speed.

Finally reaching the front door to his home, Naruto gulped at the sight of the light illuminating through the closed curtains. Damn. He had hoped that she might have fallen back asleep by now. It seemed like he didn't have nearly as much luck as he had thought. So much for making it through the night unscathed.

Taking a deep breath, Naruto hesitated for a moment before pulling open the door and stepping inside. "I'm home!" he announced, but the usual return call of "welcome back!" was replaced by muffled sobs and retching noises that filled the room.

"Hinata?" Naruto called, quickly slipping off his shoes and running towards the source of the sounds. He felt his stomach drop when it became apparent just which room it was all coming from. _Oh no, not again! _Naruto thought exasperatedly. He cautiously turned the door and poked his head into the room. "Hinata? You okay in here?"

_"Get out!" _A hysterical voice shrieked. Naruto didn't need to be told twice and fled the room faster than the Golden Flash of Konoha. His chest heaving and his eyes wide, he collapsed against the wall opposite of the door, covered in a cold sweat.

Damn. This was the fifth time in three days that Naruto had discovered Hinata in the bathroom like this. The first time had been both hard and unexpected for both of them and Naruto had spent the remainder of the night rubbing Hinata's back as she retched into the toilet. The second time had been much the same.

It was the third time that had really opened the gates of hell. One second, Naruto was holding his wife's hair back as she emptied her stomach into the toilet, and the next, he was sent flying across the room from a powerful gentle fist to the chest, Hinata screaming at him with an expression of anger he had never seen on her before. It goes without saying that Naruto made a hasty escape out of the bathroom and when Hinata finally returned to bed, he was too afraid to even close his eyes, in fear of being struck in his sleep.

The "emotional outbursts" as Iruka had dubbed them, had only gotten worse from there and the inconsistencies were driving Naruto crazy. One moment and she would Hinata, smiling happily and asking him how his latest mission had gone, and the next, she was throwing plates at him from across the room, claiming that he never had time for her anymore. Then, before Naruto could finish dodging the last plate she chucked at him, she would collapse to the floor, sobbing and crying about how sorry she was. Poor Naruto just couldn't keep up at all!

It had only been a few weeks since Hinata had told him that she was pregnant, and already he felt like he couldn't handle the situation. The best he could manage to do was try to stay as clear away from her as possible, and do whatever she wanted right when she wanted it. Hence, his late night excursion into town. Naruto groaned in defeat. _I just want regular old Hinata back,_ he cried inwardly.

"...Naruto-kun?" A familiar timid voice snapped Naruto out of his self-pitying session and brought his attention to the bathroom door.

"I'm here, Hinata," he said, scrambling to his feet. "What's wrong?" He was hoping and praying that she was normal at the moment; he didn't know how much more of "Angry Hinata" he could take.

The answer was reluctant, and the door slowly squeaked open to reveal a disheveled kunoichi sitting on her knees. Her cheeks were red with embarrassment and her tired pale eyes shifted every which way to avoid his gaze.

"Hinata?"

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun," Hinata murmured, still not meeting her husband's eyes. "I'm sorry I'm putting you through this." Naruto was holding his breath, waiting for "Crying Hinata" to resurface, but when she didn't, he sighed in relief. Hinata was herself-for the moment, anyway.

"Hey, hey," the young war hero comforted, lowering himself back down to his knees and taking the black-haired woman into his arms gently. She rested her hands against his chest, glancing down. "It's alright. I'm not mad or anything, Hinata." Naruto cracked a grin to try and reassure her, to no avail. "I mean, it's not like you can help it."

"But I keep hurting you, and yelling at you!" Hinata protested in his arms. "If I keep this up, you'll surely come to hate me!" Naruto' eyes widened and he suddenly took Hinata's face in his hands, tilting it up until he was staring right into her eyes.

"That is never going to happen, Hinata." he said firmly, with no room for any doubt to be felt. "I could never in a million years hate you."

"But...but I hurt-"

"Hey, I'm the war hero who saved the world, remember?" Naruto interjected, winking at her. "I've taken a lot worse than a few plates to the face. Hell, even Sakura-chan has gotten me worse than that!"

Hinata brought a trembling finger to her lips, a movement that Naruto recalled very well. He remembered Neji pointing it out during their match in the preliminaries of the chūnin exams.

_"Touching your lip is a action to show that your mind is disturbed. It's a defense mechanism that tries to lower nervousness and uneasiness."_

"Hinata."

The blonde-haired ninja stared into her eyes, his gaze never wavering. He knew, deep down, just what she needed to here. _Because I needed to hear it too. _"It's okay to be scared." A small smile appeared on his face. "I am too."

Maybe it was the hormones like Iruka had said, or maybe it was accumulated stress from the past few weeks. Either way, Hinata broke down crying, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck and sobbing into his shirt.

Naruto held the love of his life there on the bathroom floor for what seemed like forever, feeling oddly relieved despite the circumstance. He was glad, glad that he wasn't the only one who felt unprepared and lost. Maybe it was like how he felt drawn to Sasuke because the two of them had felt the same pain as children, that Naruto felt closer to Hinata than ever before. He had loved her more than anyone could love a person before, but now, now it felt like they were a single entity, coming together for the first time.

They weren't alone in this. They had each other.

Finally, Hinata's sobs began to die down, leaving both of them both physically and mentally exhausted. His shirt soaked thoroughly from Hinata's tears, Naruto gently pulled her head away from his chest to look into her eyes once more.

"Hinata." he said, smiling at her, and wiping stray tears from the corners of her eyes. "I love you." He kissed her deeply and pulled her closer to his body. "I love you so much, and I'm so happy that it's you having our child."

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata sniffled. "I love you too."

"We'll get through this together, I promise." Naruto vowed. "I won't ever leave you alone in this. It's a promise of a lifetime."

_One that I'll keep this time, for sure!_

The two sat there in each other's embrace, listening to the breathing of the other, until a low grumbling sound could be heard between them. Blinking, Naruto pulled away from Hinata and stared down at her stomach. "Was that the..."

"No..." Hinata murmured, her cheeks going red again. "I'm just a little hungry..."

"Oh." Naruto said blankly.

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata spoke up again, reluctantly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you remember to bring back the food I wanted?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah! Yeah, it's by the front door! Here, let's go get it, since you're hungry!"

To say that Naruto was thoroughly disgusted watching his wife eat raw zucchini dipped in red bean paste would be an understatement, and when mere moments after finishing her meal, Hinata dashed back into the bathroom, he had half a mind to join her, though he knew full well it would probably end with another bruise to the chest and a possible plate to the face.

_I should really give her her space, _Naruto decided, though not two seconds later, the house was filled with an ear-piercing cry of rage. "_Naruto-kun! Why aren't you in here with me?! Don't you love me?!" _Naruto inwardly shuddered at the genuine anger in her voice.

_This pregnancy is really _is _going to be the death of me_, Naruto thought grimly as he began towards the bathroom to reside himself to his fate.

*End*


	3. The Spreading of the News

Chapter Three: The Spreading of the News

It was supposed to be a simple check-up. Check in, check out, go home. Unfortunately, nothing in Naruto's life seemed to be simple anymore, especially with his fellow Konoha ninjas involved.

A week or so after Hinata had first started showing signs of morning sickness, Naruto had gone to Iruka for advice once again, who insisted that he take her to the Godaime Hokage for examination and treatment. Naruto trusted Tsunade baa-chan with his life, and certainly the life of his wife and unborn child, so he heeded his former teacher's advice and took Hinata to her office.

Naruto had fully expected the last living Sannin to be all business as usual with the check-up. What he hadn't expected was to come face to face with the most terrifying creature he had ever laid eyes on-a happy baa-chan. No, happy would be an enormous understatement. She was ecstatic, livid with overwhelming joy, as if she were the one having the baby and not Hinata.

"I'm so excited for you both!" Tsunade gushed, all the while slipping on a pair of sterile rubber gloves and somehow looking intimidating as hell as she did so. "Who knew a brat like you could ever come to be a father!" she laughed, and Naruto would bet his entire life savings that she was far from sober at the moment. Knowing Tsunade, she would most likely lose that bet anyway.

But even as she laughed and cracked jokes at Naruto's expense, her expression softened.

"If Jiraiya were here, he would be so proud of you."

Naruto nodded solemnly, picturing the Ero-sennin. Knowing him, he would probably want to know every excruciating detail in which the baby had been conceived, even if Naruto and Hinata didn't know themselves. The perv would've probably tried to turn their life into one of his pornos as well, if he could.

"Alright, Hinata," Tsunade said, turning her attention to the younger kunoichi. "I'm going to draw some blood to make sure everything is alright with your body, and while I do that, we can get you set up for the ultrasound."

"Ultrasound?" Naruto repeated. "What's that?" He'd never paid too close attention to all that medical stuff in the first place.

"It's a special device that allows us to see inside the mother's womb." Tsunade explained, but sighed irritably when it became clear that Naruto didn't understand.

"It's like my Byakugan, Naruto-kun." Hinata offered.

"Oh!" Naruto exclaimed, piecing together the big picture. Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I'm handing down my job to an idiot like you."

"Hey! Who are you calling an idiot, you old hag!" Naruto snarled, jumping quickly to his own defense.

"The only idiot in the room, _idiot!_" Tsunade snapped back.

The two continued their childish bickering, too caught up in their own world to notice the door to the Hokage's office open.

"Shishyou, you said you wanted to see me-eh? Naruto? Hinata? What are you two doing here?"

Both Hokage candidate and current Hokage paused from their bickering to stare at the pink-haired kunoichi standing in the doorway.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted, running up to his former teammate and pulling her into a hug. "It's been a while! How've you been?!"

"Great to see you too, Naruto, and I just got back from a mission a few hours ago." She managed to pull the blonde-haired ninja away from her. "Shizune-san said you wanted to see me, Shishyou?"

"Yes, Sakura," Tsunade said. "But before I get into that, would you mind escorting Hinata here to room 21B and prep her for an ultrasound?"

"An ultrasound?" Sakura asked. She glanced at Hinata. "Why do you need a..." Sakura's sentence died in her throat as she made the connection, and suddenly, Naruto found himself in a bone-crushing hug very unlike the one he had given Sakura.

"Congratulations Naruto!" she cried, squeezing the life out of him.

"S-Sa-Sakura-chan..." Naruto gasped weakly. "I can't...bre-breath!" Sakura ignored him, but reluctantly released her hold in favor of running up to Hinata and taking hold of her hands, leaving Naruto gasping for air on the floor.

"I'm so happy for you, Hinata!" Sakura exclaimed. "When did you find out?! How far along are you?! Have you two thought of any names yet?! I sure hope that you're child doesn't inherit Naruto's idiocy!"

"_Hey!_" Naruto snapped, finally having regained his breath.

Meanwhile, Hinata, completely blown away by Sakura's endless stream of questions, began stammering. "I-I, well, we, um..."

"Sakura." Relief flooded Hinata's mind when the medic ninja's attention was drawn to her former teacher. "You'll have plenty of time to congratulate them and ask questions later," Tsunade chided. "For now, let's get the ultrasound all set up so they can see their child."

"Wait, baa-chan, you mean we get to actually see it?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Idiot." The Godaime Hokage scoffed. "I just finished explaining to you what an ultrasound was, and you're still asking dumb questions?"

Normally, Naruto would have snapped right back, and entered another endless battle of banter with the Konoha village leader, but the prospects of seeing his child for the first time were tipping the scales of interest within his mind.

_My kid...I'm going to get to see my kid..._

Naruto couldn't decide whether he was excited or scared, but he was definitely nervous. What would the little guy look like? Would he have his and Minato's blonde hair or Hinata's black hair? Maybe he would even have Kushina's beautiful red locks! Hell, what if he inherited the Hyuuga clan's Byakugan? The possibilities were endless, and suddenly, Naruto couldn't contain his exitement.

"What are we waiting for?!" he cried. "Let's go Hinata, Sakura-chan!" Before either could stop him, he was out the door, running down the halls.

"Naruto, wait!" Sakura called out angrily. Hinata smiled, glad that her husband had returned to his carefree demeanor. Between her morning sickness and constant mood swings, poor Naruto just hadn't been himself lately, and Hinata was beginning to worry about him. But no matter how bad it got, he had kept his promise to never leave her. Despite that, she was glad that he seemed to at least be getting back to his old self. Perhaps seeing the baby would do him some good.

"Honestly, you moron!" Sakura scolded as the two kunoichi exited the Hokage's office after Naruto. "Do you even know where the room is? And how dare you leave your pregnant wife behind like that!"

"Eh? Pregnant? Who?" All three jounin turned their heads around to stare at the newcomer behind them. Naruto could literally feel a hurricane of emotion coming on. He silently prayed that Hinata wouldn't answer.

Unfortunately, Hinata did the opposite and chaos unfolded. "This...this..." Naruto groaned at what was about to come.

"This is truly the springtime of our youth!" Rock Lee exploded, fire burning in his eyes. "A new youthful life being brought into this world; I'm so exhilarated! Gai-sensei!" Naruto cringed as his exuberant voice echoed through the whole building.

"Hey, Bushy-Brows!" Naruto ground out. "Shut up already! The last thing I want is for everyone to know so soon!"

"But Naruto-kun! Is your heart not pumping with such overwhelming excitement?!" Lee shouted with all high might. "You are going to be a father of our village's next youthful generation! Does that not send shivers down your spine?!"

Before Naruto could tell Lee to keep it down once again, he had bounded up to Hinata's side and taken her hands in his own. "Hinata-san! I promise I will make up for Neji not being here to help you along!" Tears flowed freely down his face. "When your child enters this world, allow them to call me Uncle Lee!" He grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

"As if." Naruto deadpanned. The last thing he wanted was to have his kid running around in that hideous green jumpsuit, singing about youthfulness. He shuddered at the thought.

"Hey, Naruto." Sakura spoke up over Lee's excessive ranting.

"Hm?"

"Why did you tell Lee that you didn't want people to know yet?"

Naruto shifted on his feet nervously. "I don't know..." he muttered. "I just feel like...well, Hinata and I are just starting to get used to the idea of becoming parents. I don't wanna overwhelm her so early into the pregnancy, ya know? I mean look at him!" He motioned at Lee, who was desperately trying to press his ear to Hinata's stomach, despite there being no baby bump. Hinata was flushed red and kept trying to back away from her late cousin's excitable friend.

"I agree. The situation certainly doesn't call for more people knowing." Naruto froze and spun around, along with Sakura at the stoic voice just behind them.

"Sai, you bastard!" Naruto snapped. "Read the atomosphere, moron!" Though the former root member's social skills had improved in the last ten years, he still always seemed to enjoy teasing Naruto whenever he could.

"I did." Said clarified. "Hyuuga is pregnant, Naruto is the father, and you don't want anyone else to know, correct?"

"Well, y-yeah, but-"

"I sure hope you child doesn't inherit your tiny dick, dickless." Sai said with a smile. Naruto growled. "I'll show you dickless, you bastard!" He went to launch himself at Sai, only to be nearly choked to death by Sakura's death grip on the back of his collar.

"Naruto..." she said menacingly. "Don't you think it's time we stopped these foolish antics and brought Hinata to the ultrasound room?" It wasn't a suggestion; it was a command.

"Y-yeah!" Naruto squeaked. "H-Hinata! Let's go to the ultrasound!"

"Ultrasound?!" Lee repeated loudly. "Will we get to see an image of Naruto-kun's youthful child?!"

Naruto was about to tell him that he wasn't invited, when yet another voice rose above his own. "Ultrasound? Don't tell me Sakura got knocked up."

"Ino, you pig!" Sakura snarled and Naruto inwardly groaned once again. Seriously, first Lee, then Sai, and now Ino? Was the whole Konoha Eleven heading towards the Hokage's office? When a sudden bark filled the hallway, followed by yet another noisy voice, Naruto began to regret coming to Tsunade's office at all.

In the end, the ultrasound room, which should have originally consisted of Naruto, Hinata, Sakura and Tsunade, now held twice that amount of people, and the Hokage hadn't even arrived yet. While Hinata lay on the table, her shirt pushed up to reveal her stomach, Naruto found himself squished between Lee-sobbing at how beautiful the entire situation was-and Kiba with his nasty dog breath, Akamaru whining just beside him. Ino stood on the other side of Sakura, who had begun rubbing some clear gel onto Hinata's exposed skin. Sai stood off in the corner, smiling creepily as usual.

"Alright Hinata," Tsunade's voice came, as she enters the cluttered room. "I just went over your blood work and-what the hell are all of you doing in here?!" she snarled at her jounin.

"Hokage-sama!" Lee saluted. "I was on my way to deliver my report, ma'am when I found out that Naruto is having a baby! I wish for you to allow me to see the baby as well, ma'am!"

"Absolutely n-"

"I had those papers you wanted, Tsunade-hime," Ino interjected. "But then I found out about Hinata and Naruto's baby as well. Please let me stay!"

"But I-"

"I wish to see dickless have a baby as well." Sai stated.

"That's-"

"Oi, Sai! I'm not the one having a baby, you bastard!" Naruto snapped.

"Are you sure? Isn't the one without the dick supposed to be the one to give birth?"

"Why you-"

"That's enough!" The chatter in the room ceased immediately and everyone cowered in fear of their village leader. "Everyone but the parents and Sakura leave the room at once!" Her command left no room for objections and within seconds the room had been cleared out.

"As I was saying," Tsunade growled under her breath. "Your blood work is just fine, Hinata. All that's left is to determine how far along you are with the ultrasound. Sakura, is she prepped?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Tsunade nodded and walked over to Hinata's side. Naruto stood on the other side, squeezing his wife's hand. He didn't know why, but he was suddenly getting so nervous.

"Alright, Hinata," Tsunade said. "I'm going to take this object here-" she held up a small, curved device. "And place it-"

"You're not gonna stick that up her...you know, right?" Naruto interrupted, almost afraid for Hinata.

"Naruto!" Tsunade snapped. "Say one more word and I'll throw you out with the rest of the dogs!"

"Hey!" Kiba's voice called from the other side of the door. "I resent that!"

The Slug Princess pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. After this was all over, she was going to lock herself in her office and finish that bottle of sake she had stored away. "I'm going to place this on your stomach, and using my chakra, I'm going to generate the power to allow us to see inside your womb through this monitor here." She gestured to a medium sized monitor beside the examination table.

"Just like the Byakugan!" Naruto chimed in, feeling pleased that he finally understood what was about to happen.

"Yes, like the Byakugan." Tsunade turned to Hinata. "Are you ready, Hinata?" The Hyuuga kunoichi hesitated for a moment, turning to her husband for support. Naruto, despite how frayed his nerves were at the moment, smiled warmly at her and gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. Hinata smiled back and turned her gaze back to the Hokage. "Yes, I'm ready." she replied.

Tsunade proceeded to place the blunt object on Hinata's stomach, and applied her chakra. The monitor sprang to life, displaying a mostly black and white screen. From what Naruto could see, there appeared to be something moving, but he couldn't make it out. Was it the baby?

Tsunade was concentrating hard, volleying her attention to the screen and Hinata's stomach. Every so often, she would shift the object in her hand and move it across Hinata's skin. Naruto held his breath, waiting and watching for anything that looked like a baby.

"Here we go!" Tsunade suddenly went, pausing from adjusting the object. Naruto's breath hitched in his throat and he reluctantly looked at the monitor. What would he see? The excitement was building within him, and for the first time since the whole pregnancy fiasco began, he was almost proud.

Such pride and excitement flew out the window almost immediately as he stared at the monitor in confusion.

"Hey baa-chan," he spoke up. "Are you sure you found the baby? I don't see it."

Sakura gave him a dry look from the other side of the room. "How do you not see it, Naruto?" she accused. "It's right there!"

"Where?"

"I see it too, Naruto-kun." Hinata said, smiling up at him. But Naruto didn't return it. He was still squinting at the monitor, trying to see if he had possibly missed something.

"Are you guys making fun of me?" he said. "I don't see it."

"Don't be an idiot!" Sakura snarled. "It's right there!"

"And I'm telling you, _I don't see it!_" Naruto spat back.

"That's enough you two!" Tsunade growled. "Naruto come here."

The blonde-haired ninja reluctantly released Hinata's hand and walked over to Tsunade's side, right in front of the monitor.

"You see this small black spot right here?" The Hokage asked, pointing with her finger at a dark splotch in the middle of the screen. It was only slightly smaller and Naruto's fist. "Yeah." Naruto answered cautiously. "What about it?" He didn't see how it had anything to do with finding the baby.

"That's the baby."

"What?" Naruto gasped. "No way! That looks nothing like a baby!"

"It's not supposed to, idiot!" Sakura exclaimed. "It's still developing!"

"But...but where's it's hands and feet and head? Hell, where's it's anything?!"

"Sakura already told you, Naruto." Tsunade answered. "When they're in the womb, babies are still growing and developing into what you know to be a baby. They are born after they are fully formed. What you are seeing here is what your baby looks like right now, but it's not going to stay that way."

Naruto pouted, slightly put off that he wasn't going to get to see what his kid really looked like. "Don't sulk, you idiot." Sakura laughed. "By the time it's born, it'll be the most adorable thing ever!"

"I guess..." Naruto mumbled. He couldn't believe he got so excited over a little black blob. Man, did he ever feel stupid.

"It's like when we were younger, Naruto-kun."

"Hm?" Naruto glanced at Hinata, still laying on the table.

"When we were children, we were nothing like we are now." Hinata continued. "You were always trying to compete with Sasuke-kun, and no matter how hard you tried, you could never win."

"Not to mention you were dead last in everything." Sakura added.

"And I, I was too shy to even talk to you in person." Hinata said, her cheeks flushing. "But, we've changed since then. We changed as people and grew to be what we're were meant to become. Like this baby."

Naruto glanced up at the monitor again, staring at the blob. "Right now, it's this way, but pretty soon, it'll grow into what it was meant to look like." Hinata smiled. "Just like you were meant to become Hokage. This child was meant to be your child. _Our child._"

Naruto found his lips curving upward. Hinata, as always, was right. It didn't matter that this little blob didn't look like he thought it would. It still had time to grow. It still had time to become a baby. "You hear that?" Naruto said, addressing the blob on the screen. "You stay in there for now, you here? Keep getting bigger and stronger, and when you come out, be the best damn you you can be! I promise by the time you get out, I'll have become Hokage, so you can say that you're the kid of the greatest ninja in the village!"

Hinata smiled at her husband, glad she was able to cheer him up after so many years of him cheering her up. Sakura smiled as well, noting how much Naruto had grown. Who knew that bratty little punk could grow up to be such a strong and reliable person. Hinata sure was lucky to have him.

"Not so fast, brat." Tsunade grounded out. "The only way you're getting my job is if I drop dead on duty, ya hear?!"

"Well then go ahead, hag! I can wait!" Naruto countered.

"Why you-"

"Hey Naruto! Can we see the kid yet?!" Kiba yelled, kicking the door open. Naruto paused from his bickering as his friends able entered the room. Wait, had Shikamaru and Choji been there before?

_Great, they've multiplied!_

"Whoa is this thing it?" Kiba exclaimed, as they all crowded around the monitor.

Sai chuckled. "I can see the family resemblance."

"Shut up, bastard!" Naruto growled.

"Tsunade-hime, how far along is it?" Ino asked.

"About six weeks." the Hokage answered.

"Ah, this is troublesome. Why am I here again?" Shikamaru groaned.

"Take a note, Shikamaru." Ino replied. "I want four."

"_Hah?_"

"Kids are troublesome, right Shikamaru?"

"Shut up Chouji."

"This is truly remarkable! But I will not lose to my rival! Sakura-san! Will you-"

_"NO!"_

As the noise in the room grew, Naruto couldn't help but realize that no matter what he did, his life would never be simple. But then again, he was a ninja and a soon-to-be-dad so maybe simple just wasn't possible. He smiled. Not that he minded.

*End*| 

I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter. (I love Sai's dick jokes haha) Out of everyone, Lee's personality was probably the hardest to pin down. Must be because his youthful spirit can't be contained on paper!

Naruto and Hinata have their first ultrasound! yay! I'm not sure if there are such things as ultrasounds in Naruto!verse, but if figured, if they can take pictures and film movies (Naruto movie 1) then ultrasounds are not completely out there. Plus I tried to incorporate chakra into it to make it more believable. Hopefully it worked. ShikaIno moment too for all you fans out there! LeeSaku if you squint past the black and blue marks of Lee's eyes after Sakura is done with him lol

Till next time! (Reviews are much appreciated!)


	4. Teacher and Student

Chapter Four: Teacher and Student

The cool midday breeze whispered through the young shinobi's blond locks, the small picture he held in front of him fluttering between his fingers.

"See? This little blob right here is the body, and baa-chan said that this part is where the head will eventually be! Isn't that cool?"

The two headstones before him remained speechless and unmoving, but Naruto still grinned away. "I know it doesn't look like a baby now, but Sakura-chan said that in a few months, it'll look totally different! I'm so excited!"

Again, the stones were as still as they were before, the breeze only stirring the bright array of flowers placed in between them. Naruto's expression grew solemn. "You know, I really wish you guys were here," he confessed. "I mean, I'm gonna be a father, and I'm scared to death just thinking about it. Iruka-sensei and everyone have been helping out as best they can...but I guess there's no better teacher on how to be a father than your parents. Right? Mom? Dad?"

Naruto chuckled to himself. "Who knew that I'd be more prepared to save the world than I would be becoming a dad... Really though, I wish you guys could be here. To help me, and encourage me."

He paused. "And I wish you were here to meet him, or uh, her. I just know you guys would've been awesome grandparents!" Naruto laughed, picturing a world where his parents were around to see his child. His mother, her beautiful long red hair flowing behind her, would gush over the baby-and maybe even snap at Naruto for not feeding him enough. His father would smile warmly, holding the baby in his arms, his blue eyes shining with pride for his grandchild.

But such a world would never exist. Minato and Kushina were dead, and would never come to see their son bring his child into the world. Naruto was almost angry for the twisted hand of fate that his parents had been dealt, but he knew there was no dwelling on the past. His parents had chosen to die to save him and he couldn't fault them for that. They were acting as they thought parents should.

Briefly, Naruto wondered if a similar situation were to arise, if he would do the same as his parents had, and give his life for his child. Glancing down at the black and white sonogram picture of his unborn "baby blob" as he'd had come to refer to it as-much to Hinata's amusement and Sakura's annoyance-he smiled and agreed that yes, he would give his life. He'd give it away in a heartbeat if it meant allowing this child to grow up happy.

Feeling a sudden sense of gratitude for his deceased parents, Naruto stretched his hands forward from where he stood crouched in front of the graves.

Placing each hand atop of the marble stones, Naruto smiled. "Thank you." he murmured. "You may not have been there to watch me grow, but you were the greatest parents in the world."

Dropping his hands from the gravestones, Naruto got to his feet and glanced at the picture between his fingers. _I hope I can at least be half the parent that my mom and dad were to me,_ he thought.

"Oh ho, so this is the little guy I've been hearing so much about!" Startled, Naruto let out a manly squeak and jumped away, spinning around to face the fiend who dared to sneak up behind him during such a personal moment.

It took only a few seconds for Naruto to recognize the silver, gravity-defying hair and the cheeky grin hidden beneath a dark mask.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto gasped, and his former teacher lifted a hand in greeted.

"Yo, Naruto." he greeted. "Been a while, hasn't it?"

"I'll say!" Naruto agreed, grinning. "I haven't seen you for a few months! How'd the S-Class mission go?!"

Kakashi lifted up a finger and wiggles it in front of Naruto's face. "Classified~!" The jounin sang.

His former student pouted. "Nothing's classified to the future Hokage..." he muttered and Kakashi chuckled. "You never change." he said.

"Of course not!" Naruto replied, folding his arms across his chest.

"That aside," Kakashi continued. "I've been back for less than an hour, and all I've heard across the village is how little Naruto is going to be a daddy!"

Naruto blushed, scratching his cheek with a finger sheepishly. "Uh, yeah, it's true, eheh." He paused for a moment, processing Kakashi's words. "Hey! Who told you?! And I am not _little_! I'm as tall as you are!"

Kakashi chuckled. "A little birdy told me." he answered. "And a dog. And a boar. And a bushy-eyed tiger. Now that I think about it..." the copy ninja pondered, glancing thoughtfully up at the sky, before closing his eyes and shrugging playfully. "I guess everyone told me!"

"Those guys..." Naruto growled through gritted teeth. He should've know this would happen once his friends found out. He wouldn't be surprised if the whole village knew already!

"Hey now," Kakashi murmured goodheartedly. "Don't be mad at them. I would've found out anyway; I _am_ a ninja after all."

Naruto sighed exasperatedly. He had to agree there; if Kakashi really wanted to know something, he would've found a way to get the information one way or another. Even with his Sharingan gone, Kakashi was still a force to be reckoned with, though Naruto doubted the copy ninja had to do much to get the information out of his excitable friends-especially the gossip-loving Ino, and Sai, who would've probably just outright said it if it meant pissing Naruto off. He wasn't really mad at his friends anyway-they were just excited for him after all.

"So when do I get to see the picture of my cute student's unborn baby?" Kakashi asked, an unsettling smile evident beneath his mask.

Naruto stared at his former teacher. "Kakashi-sensei." he deadpanned. "Don't say things like that. It's creepy."

Despite that, he handed over the picture to the silver-haired shinobi.

For years, Naruto had watched the cheerful expressions that befell his teacher's face beneath that mask-most of them being painfully fake-but the expression that adorned Kakashi's half covered face as he stared down at the picture was one of genuine joy. His dark eyes were softened and shining with warmth, as opposed to their usual lazy glazed look, and the lines of his mask were upturned in a small, but real lopsided smile. Naruto shared at his former sensei's expression, feeling pride welling up inside him.

Reluctantly, Kakashi passed the photo back to Naruto. "Well I definitely see the family resemblance." he joked, causing Naruto to pull a face.

"Sai said the same thing." he grumbled.

Kakashi chuckled, placing a hand in Naruto's shoulder. "Well regardless, I'm proud of you. You've taken the life that your parents gave you, and done all that you can with it. I know Minato-sensei and Kushina-san would both be so proud and happy for you."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei." he said. Somehow, hearing that from someone who actually knew his parents made it all seem more real. Like Minato and Kushina were actually saying it. "That means a lot."

Comfortable silence carried between the two as they stood side by side in front of the graves of Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

"You know-"

"Uh, hey-"

Teacher and student glanced at each other, blinking. "Uh, you first." Naruto said, before Kakashi could say the same thing. The jounin nodded, before turning his head to stare at the graces again.

"...After the Kyuubi was sealed away, and the Third Hokage...found Minato-sensei and Kushina-san," Kakashi hesitated, and Naruto stared at him. He had never seen Kakashi, who usually hid his emotions behind a wall of stone, so tense. Not even when his long lost, dead friend, Obito turned out to be the man behind the mask during the war.

"He," Kakashi continued. "brought you to Tsunade-sama, who was treating all the injured. I was there as well, helping to bring back some of the wounded from the battlefield. I remember the Third telling Tsunade-sama something, whispering in her ear, and because of my Sharingan, I was able to read his lips. That's how I found out about Minato-sensei and Kushina-san. And you, Naruto." Kakashi paused from his story. Naruto said nothing, letting Kakashi finish.

"At first," the copy ninja pressed on. "I was so angry and sticken with grief that I couldn't even see. It was like my world had gone complete dark, as if the sun had died. My teacher, the person that I had looked up to the most out of everyone in the village was dead. After Obito and Rin had died, he was all I had left, and now that he was gone, I was completely, and utterly alone. I remember my chest hurting, like I'd been stabbed, and I couldn't even feel my hands. And..." Kakashi turned slowly to the blond-haired ninja. "I remember hating you, Naruto. It was all your fault, I thought. All your fault that the two bravest and strongest people I had ever known were dead."

Kakashi turned away and fixed his gaze on the ground, almost looking ashamed. "Before you were born, Minato-sensei used to joke that I would be like your older brother, and I could see the love and joy in both of their faces every time you would kick in Kushina's belly. But...to give up their lives for a child that hadn't even been alive long enough for them to properly love? I just couldn't make sense of it. I was angry, upset, and scared, and I needed a scapegoat. Others blamed the Kyuubi for Minato-sensei's death, but I didn't see it that way, and in that moment, I wished that you had died instead of my sensei. You, who were just a baby. You who hadn't even been alive for more than an hour. You who wouldn't even be missed in comparison to the Fourth Hokage."

Kakashi's eyes had grown heavy with grief and regret as the story progressed, and Naruto could feel a pit deep in his stomach. His sensei had hated him? And then the question that was so pain-stakingly obvious pushed its way to the center of Naruto's mind: _Did he still hate him?_ All this time, after all they'd been through together, had Naruto simply been deluding himself into thinking his sensei cared about him, when in reality Kakashi had been harboring a long-standing deep hatred of him? The thought made the pit in his stomach tighten.

"My hatred of you had built up to extreme levels in a matter of minutes," Naruto stiffened as Kakashi continued the story once again. "And in my blind anger, I approached the Third Hokage and Tsunade-sama and demanded to know why they were caring for the murderer of Konoha's future."

Naruto flinched at that, his eyes wide. Kakashi-sensei...thought he was a murderer?

"I was going on and on, making a complete fool of myself as I did so," Kakashi went on. "I said awful things; things that I will regret saying for as long as I live. And when I had finally tired myself out, Tsunade-sama looked at me and said, 'Your teacher would be ashamed of you.'"

Kakashi bowed his head and placed a hand over his face to hide his shame. "I will never, no matter what I do, be able to make up for what I said. I was angry and grieving...but it was no excuse, and I'm sure if Minato-sensei had been there, he would have hated me at that moment."

Naruto wanted to say something, say that there was no way his father could hate Kakashi. But his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth, his throat closed off almost completely. Words couldn't seem to find their way past his lips. All he could do was stare at Kakashi and think, he hates me, like a mantra in his head.

"I remember the Third sitting me down and trying to calm my emotions." Kakashi spoke up again. "Most of the words were lost to me; all I could think about was how I had shamed my sensei, and despite that, how much I still hated you. I wish I had listened to what the Third had said to me." Kakashi lifted his head from his hand and stared up at the sky, the wind blowing lightly through his hair.

"And then...he got up and when he returned, he placed you in my arms." Naruto held his breath in anticipation. Kakashi lowered his gaze and turned to his former student once again.

"And the moment I looked at you," he said. "My anger melted away. The pain was still there, but I knew deep down that I couldn't hate you. You were the littlest thing, sleeping quietly in my arms, and in that moment, I realize that I had been completely wrong. I thought that because you had only been alive for so long, that Minato-sensei and Kushina-san didn't have enough time to love you enough to sacrifice themselves for you. But looking at you made me realize that they had fallen in love with you long before you were even born. They loved you when you were still a thought in their minds to start a family, when you were growing inside Kushina's belly, and when you were finally brought into the world as their son. They loved you like no one else could ever love a person.

"They loved you enough to give their lives up for the sake of yours, and I realized that I couldn't hate you for their choice, and I couldn't hate them for choosing you over themselves. That would be an insult to their memory and the love they held for you." Kakashi smiled under his mask and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, noting that the young man was trembling slightly.

"Naruto, the very first time I met you, I realized I could never hate you, no matter who you became. You are my sensei's son, and my student, and I always have, and always will be proud of you. And I hope that you give your child the same love and devotion as your parents gave you."

The pit in Naruto's stomach seemed to melt away as Kakashi finished his story, and a newfound admiration for his former teacher fluttered in Naruto's heart. Kakashi had suffered through so much, lost so many loved ones, yet he still found the power to fight through the pain and grief, to become to courageous ninja that Naruto knew him as. Whatever doubts that were in the young shinobi's mind before, disappeared instantly. He was positive now that he was making the right decision.

"Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, watching the copy ninja's regretful eyes jerking towards him. "When my child is born, I want you to be his godfather." His voice didn't waver for an instant and he met Kakashi's shocked gaze determinedly.

"Are you sure?!" Kakashi sputtered. He couldn't understand how his student had accepted his confession so easily and then announced something like this! _But then again,_ Kakashi thought. _This is Naruto. He's always been like this._

"I'm positive, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto nodded. His tone showed that that was his final decision on the matter. "You've always been there to bail me out of trouble, and you've helped me to get stronger than I ever dreamed possible. You may not always be good with time-management, but I know that I can count on you to be there for my kid, like you were for me."

Naruto grinned at his teacher. "So will you accept, Kakashi-sensei?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

Kakashi chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "How can I say know when my cute student is asking me so nicely?" he smiled.

Naruto pulled a face. "Stop being creepy already, sensei. My kid'll be too scared to go near you."

Kakashi deadpanned. "Right..."

Naruto grinned, happy that things had worked out and that Kakashi didn't actually hate him. He couldn't imagine his life without the jounin-or any of his friends for that matter.

"I'm glad you told me that, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said.

"I'm glad I did too," the silver-haired ninja admitted. "It feels like the air is clearer now."

"It does." Naruto agreed, feeling the wind blow gently against his face. Above the trees, the sky had begun to change, turning different hues of orange and purple.

"It's getting a bit late," Kakashi noted. "You should probably get home to your pregnant wife; I'm sure she's going to start getting worried."

"Yeah..."

The two ninjas paid their last respects to the grave before turning around and walking away.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"Do you still visit Obito's grave?" The question was met with silence. Finally, the older jounin answered. "Yeah. He may have made a lot of mistakes in the past," Kakashi explained solemnly. "But he's still a hero in my eyes. He's still the reason I'm alive today. If I can't continue to honor his memory, then if be putting the life he saved to waste."

Naruto nodded, remaining quiet for a moment, before stopping in his tracks.

"Naruto?" The blond-haired ninja suddenly grinned. "I'll be right back!" he promised, taking off back in the opposite direction.

Kakashi waited patiently for his return, wondering what it was he was doing. When Naruto came back, he was slightly out of breath.

"What was that about?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing. I just forgot something." Kakashi nodded and the two continued to walk until they reached the end of the cemetary. From there, the two would split up, their homes being in opposite directions.

"See ya, Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said, waving. Kakashi offered a small wave in return before turning away. Naruto did the same, walking only a few steps before he heard his name being called. Spinning his head around, he glanced at Kakashi in confusion.

"What?" he asked. They were still close enough that they didn't have to yell in order for their voices to carry across.

"I forgot to tell you," Kakashi said. "He's back from his mission. Sasuke."

Naruto blinked, processing the words. Sasuke was back? A smile played across his face. "Right!" he said. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei!"

The two parted ways silently, each thinking back about what was said.

Kakashi walked slowly, his hands in his pockets. Glancing up at the colorful sky, he let a small smile escape his wall of stone. "I told him, sensei." he murmured to himself. "I finally told him." The wind whispered gently passed his ear and he shuddered slightly at the feeling.

Naruto rushed home, his gait quickening each time he repeated the mantra in his head.

_Sasuke's back._

_Sasuke's back._

_Sasuke's back._

_That bastard, _Naruto thought, grinning wildly. _What took him so long?_

Back in the cemetary, the two headstones of the Fourth Hokage and his wife stood, the fading sun beating down on the surfaces. In between the two graves, a bouquet of colorful flowers stood, placed nearly in a circular hole in the ground. A small black and white photo, featuring a blurry black spot, sat against one of the headstones, weighed down by a small stone. The photo gleamed bright against the dying sun, fluttering gently against the soft, whispering wind.

*End* 

There you go! Another chapter! Kakashi holding baby Naruto after the Kyuubi attack? Head!canon accepted! A few people were asking about when Sasuke would make an appearance...well here you go! A little sneak peek for the next chapter! Also, fun fact for those of you who don't know: Apparently, "Ino" translates to "boar" or "pig," which is why Sakura always calls Ino, "Ino-pig" *THE MORE YOU KNOW*

Also, reviews are very much appreciated, and if anyone catches a grammar or content mistake, let me know! I always look back on my published work to see if I make any mistakes and boy do I beat myself over the head whenever I catch one! It kills me inside very deeply! DX

Anyways, ta-ta for now! ^_^


	5. The Hope For Change

Chapter Five: The Hope For Change

"Gone?! What do you mean gone?!" Naruto exclaimed, hands slamming down onto the hard surface of the Hokage's desk. His noisy voice rang loudly in the Godaime Hokage's head, tap dancing on her last nerve.

"I mean he's gone! I can't say it any other way!" Tsunade growled, struggling not to crush the sake cup in her hand. All she wanted to do was relax in her office for the day; for once she didn't having anymore papers to get done. But this brat-this noisy little shit-was ruining it! To think that such a childish person would be having a child of his own to take care of in a few months. Tsunade couldn't help but pray for Hinata's sanity.

Naruto scowled at the older woman. "That doesn't make sense! Kakashi-sensei told me _last night _that Sasuke was back, and now you're telling me he's gone again?! What the hell!"

"I don't know what you want from me, brat!" Tsunade stormed, slamming down the cracked sake cup and lunging forward to grasp at the front of Naruto's collar. "But you're noisy as hell so shut up!"

"Not until you tell me where Sasuke went!" Naruto retorted. He met her glare evenly, their foreheads pressed against one another in aggression.

"Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!" Tsunade mocked, mimicking Naruto's voice with a squeaky annoying one-which in the Hokage's opinion didn't do his annoying tone any justice at all. "He's all you ever think about! Aren't you the least bit concerned for your pregnant wife?! Grow so damn _balls!_"

"Shut up, hag! And he's not all I think about! It's just he's been away on a mission for six damn months and the second he gets back he goes off on another one without even saying a word to me about it! If anyone needs to grow some balls it's that bastard!"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Tsunade released her hold on Naruto and leaned back in her chair, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Of all the idiotic-_he's a ninja for fuck's sake!_" she snarled. "That's what ninjas do! In fact, you could probably learn a little from him, moron!"

"_Hah?!_" Naruto gasped angrily. "What could I possibly learn from that self-centered teme?!"

"When was the last time you went on a mission? I was trying to be considerate considering your home situation at the moment, but it's time you went back out into the field!"

"Not until you tell me where Sasuke went!" Naruto repeated. "I'm gonna find that bastard and kick his ass for leaving without saying anything! And I had to tell him something important too!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and sat up. "Sasuke is on an important S-Class mission; don't you dare interfere. You on the other hand, have far too much on your plate as it is to be worrying about him."

"How so?" Naruto growled, folding her arms angrily and turning his head away in spite. Honestly, he was still seething about Sasuke. The former missing nin had only just gotten back last night, and already he had taken a new mission? And without even going to see his best friend; the nerve of that guy!

"Not only do you have a child on the way and a wife who needs your attention and support," Tsunade explained. Naruto rolled his eyes. He already knew all of that-what was the point of repeating it? "But now, I'm officially assigning you to a three-man genin team."

"What?!" Naruto gasped. "But-but, I thought you wanted me for missions!"

"As a team leader you _will _be going on missions."

"Yeah! Shitty ones! I'm a jounin, the future Hokage-I can't be doing dumb chores with a bunch of brats!" He would have continued on, but suddenly, Tsunade stood up and slammed her hands down on her desk, making the entire structure shake. "Naruto!" she yelled, and out of habit of not wanting to be smacked, the blond ninja straightened his stance, arms at his sides. "H-hai!" he replied shakily.

"I'm not sure if you're aware," Tsunade continued, a menacing gleam in her eye as she spoke each word with a promise of death. "But you are not yet Hokage. _I am._ And what I say, goes. If I tell you to go on a mission, you go. If I tell you to stay in bed and rest, your ass better not leave your house until I say otherwise. If I tell you to go buy me sake, you better run to the nearest store at breakneck speed. ...And if I tell you that you are going to be a genin team leader..." she paused, her tall figure towering over Naruto with so much intimidation, that Naruto almost mistook her for a demon. "You better do it without complaint."

Fear sweating out of every part of his body, Naruto could only nod as his legs shook frantically. Baa-chan was scary!

"Good." Tsunade replied with finality, sitting back down, and reaching into a drawer in her desk. She pulled out a new sake cup and poured herself a generous amount, before forgoing the cup and drinking the sake straight from the bottle. "You're dismissed!" she announced, waving a hand at Naruto, her cheeks already gaining a healthy red tint to them.

Naruto had no choice-there was just no way he was challenging Tsunade again-but to slink out of the Hokage's office with his tail between his legs. Grateful that he hadn't wet himself with fright, the blond-haired jounin began to head home, brooding about his new fate as a genin sensei.

Now don't get Naruto wrong; it's not like he was totally against becoming a team leader for the next generation. But thinking back to his own genin years, he realized what a bother it had really been to Kakashi and the rest. Forced to endure D-class missions until it was deemed that the genin were ready to advance-to Naruto, it seemed more like babysitting than leading a team.

And then there was Sasuke. The bastard thought he could get away with leaving the village without telling him, huh? When he came back this time, Naruto was gonna kick his ass. After telling him that he was becoming an uncle, of course. A pit formed in Naruto's stomach at the thought of Sasuke missing his child's birth.

Others might not understand their complex relationship, but to Naruto, Sasuke was his best friend, and the person who was most like him in this world. No one else truly knew what he had felt growing up, and no one else drove him to be more than he had thought he was capable of. The two of them had been through hell and back together, had their friendship testing countless times, and despite the mistakes both of them had made in the past, Naruto knew that he could count on Sasuke for anything. Which was why he wanted his friend to be there when he took this first hesitant step into the life of a parent. It just wouldn't be the same if Sasuke wasn't there. Some may call him obsessed, but Naruto didn't see it that way at all.

"That idiot." Naruto growled under his breath. After all, he knew why Sasuke had accepted a mission a day after he'd returned from a previous one, and the very thought sent fits of rage through his body.

For all that Sasuke had done during the war to bring peace back to the ninja world, he still was looked at by some as a traitor. Despite returning to the village and willingly submitting to a year of lockdown in a high security prison, slowly but surely being allowed to continue with missions after his release, and finally being promoted to an ANBU captain, Sasuke still couldn't seem to escape from the dirty glares of some of the villagers. In a strange twist of fate, it seemed that Sasuke and Naruto's images had been reverses. Naruto, who was once looked at as nothing more than a monster, was now renowned as the village's hero and everyone's pick for the next Hokage, while Sasuke, who had been praised countless times as the village's number one natural born genius rookie was now seen as a filthy traitor, no matter how much good he did for the village.

He was still just the man who had abandoned his village and his friends in order to become a murderer. In their eyes, he was a criminal now and forever.

And despite Naruto and the rest of the Konoha Eleven's attempts to get people to see Sasuke as the hero he was, it was all to no avail. Naruto knew that beneath Sasuke's stoic and uncaring exterior, the last living Uchiha was bothered greatly by it all. And thus, a series of long last missions one after another ensued for Sasuke, if only to escape the dirty looks of the Konoha villagers for that much longer.

Naruto knew how it felt, knew the impact that those looks could cause, yet he felt powerless to help his friend. But what bothered him most was that Sasuke didn't seem to want to come to him for help, even after all the two of them had been through together. Even now, Sasuke's pride still stood stubbornly as the only obstacle that prevented him from truly being happy. Well Naruto wouldn't stand for it. _When I finally become Hokage, _he vowed. _I'll definitely change how people look at Sasuke. _

The house was empty tonight-Hinata having gone out for dinner with Sakura and Ino to celebrate the big news-so Naruto headed to Ichiraku's to see if the warm enticing smell of ramen would improve his mood. He doubted coming home irritated would do much to help Hinata's own mood swings. Ever since the ultrasound, the kunoichi's symptoms seemed to have worsened, at home during the mornings and evenings being even more so. Tsunade had said that it was normal and that everything should die down in a few weeks, but Naruto still couldn't get used to Hinata's "other personalities". He just knew if he came home in a bad mood, "Angry Hinata" would pick up on it and start yelling at him for not caring about her own feelings-all the while sacrificing their good china to her cause of proving a needless point to her husband. Regardless, he was pretty sure if this continued, he would have to spend a fortune buying all new plates.

Ducking into the stand, Naruto was greeted warmly by old man Teuchi and his daughter Ayame, followed by a timid wave from a young girl behind the bar, who Naruto recognized to Ayame's eight-year-old daughter, Emiko. Naruto waved back, smiling, and sat down at the bar, slouching his shoulders in defeat.

"You're usual, Naruto?" Teuchi asked, noting the absence of the jounin's usual jovial attitude. "Why so down?"

"Ah, it's nothing," Naruto brushed off, waving his hand dismissively. "I've just got a lot on my plate is all." He could feel the spite in his own voice as he repeated Tsunade's words.

"I'll say!" Ayame chimed in, turning her head to face Naruto as she busied herself with draining the water from a new batch of noodles. "I've been hearing nonstop about the big news! Congratulations!"

"Hey, what's this big news?" Teuchi asked, scratching his head.

"You haven't heard, Tou-san?" Ayame replied. "Naruto's having a baby!" She beamed at the young war hero, and Naruto couldn't stop a small smile from escaping his lips.

"Really now?" Teuchi said, blinking back in surprise, as he turned away for a moment to attend to his kitchen. "Well, in that case, have a bowl on the house. My treat!"

Naruto blinked. "Really?" he asked. Despite the overhanging irritation for Sasuke and his new...job, Naruto could feel his bad mood melting away.

"Of course! It's not every day a man becomes a father, you know!" Teuchi said, lowering a steaming bowl of ramen in front of his most loyal customer. Naruto practically cried at the sight of it, his nose being assaulted by the most delicious smell known to the world.

"Thanks, ossan! Itadakimasu!" he exclaimed, before splitting his chopstick and tucking in. For a moment, his doubts about the baby, and Sasuke, and being a team leader washed away with the warmth ebbing from the steaming broth. He was in heaven!

"I thought you might be here!" Naruto paused from his slurping to turn towards the familiar voice behind him. Slurping up the noodles hanging from his mouth, he smiled. "Hey, Iruka-sensei!"

"Hey yourself," the chūnin replied, sitting down beside him. "I heard you and Hinata went to your first ultrasound a few days ago. How did it go?" Naruto could see the nervous excitement in his former teacher's eyes.

"It went really well!" he declared. "At first, I was kinda disappointed that it didn't look like a baby-cause, ya see, right now, it's just this little black blob of nothing, but it'll definitely grow more soon-but I'm really excited, ya know?" Naruto knew he was rambling, but after his meeting with Tsunade, he needed to think about other things, and the exhilaration from the ultrasound was still fresh in his mind. Besides, he may be using the unborn baby to keep his mind of his worries, but that didn't mean he wasn't excited. In fact, he could feel a familiar rush coursing through his veins as he talked to Iruka. A familiar rush that came whenever he was in battle, or faced with a challenge. On missions, sure he was scared and nervous, especially for the safety of his friends, but the challenge of actually getting into it and fighting someone strong, of risking everything to the unknown...the thought itself really fired him up, and the idea of jumping into a void of uncertainty with his future child, while deathly terrifying and mind-numbing, was also an exhilarating challenge.

As his ramblings finally came to an end, Iruka threw back his head and laughed a good-hearted laugh. "That's great, Naruto!" he said, placing a hand on the younger ninja's shoulder. "I'm glad you've become more confident with this. I know you're going to be a great father."

Pride welled up inside Naruto's heart at those words, and he felt his cheeks warm. "Eheheh," he laughed bashfully, scratching at the back of his head. "You really think so?"

"Definitely." Iruka stated. "By the way, I was looking at my roster for genin teams for my class, and I couldn't help but notice your name under team leaders."

Naruto felt his good mood plummet almost immediately. To hide the sour look on his face, he turned back to his ramen, practically burying his face into the bowl as he shoved noodles into his mouth furiously.

"I had no idea that you were being assign a genin team, Naruto," Iruka continued. "That's great! I know you'll do just fine as a sensei..."

"Another bowl please!" Naruto called to Teuchi as he finished slurping down the last of the broth. He tried to block out Iruka's words as best as he could.

"...I mean, it feels like we've come a full circle now, doesn't it?" Iruka kept talking, and Naruto dug into his second bowl, his irritation growing. "I stated off teaching you in the academy, and now, you're going to get students of your own..."

Naruto ordered another bowl as he quickly drained the second.

"...And you don't have to worry; all of my students are brilliant...well some of them are in their own ways..."

Naruto rapidly sucked down half of the third bowl, already poised to order a fourth.

"...I'll try not to be bias when I assign teams; I have to make them even after all. But I do know what student that would be perfect for you..."

Naruto finished his third bowl just as a fourth was placed before him. He immediately tucked into it without a second thought.

"...And there's this other student that-Naruto, have you been listening?"

Naruto didn't look up from his bowl, instead lifting it to his lips and tilting his head back to slurp up the broth.

"Naruto?"

More slurping sounds.

"Naruto! Answer me already!"

The bowl slammed down onto the table. "I don't want to be a team leader!" Naruto yelled, angry fingers gripping the edge of the bowl. "I don't want to waste my time doing stupid chores disguised as missions, and I sure as hell don't want to deal with whining, snot-nosed brats!"

Suddenly, a hand lashed out at him and slapped him across the face. Naruto's eyes widened, the sting to his cheek sending a shock through his body. Slowly, Naruto turned his head back to face the one who had hit him.

"Iruka-sens-"

"The only snot-nosed brat I see here is you!" Naruto winced at the bite behind his former teacher's words. He'd never seen Iruka look so angry before. "Honestly, Naruto," Iruka sighed heavily. "I thought you knew better. I thought you'd grown up."

Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto barely noticed Teuchi ushering Ayame and Emiko to the back room and out of sight.

"I know you, Naruto," Iruka insisted. "D-class missions and genin aside, there's more to this than what you're telling me, and didn't I say it before? You can talk to me if something is bothering you."

Naruto looked down. "I don't know," he murmured. "It's...it's everything! The baby, Hinata's mood swings, Sasuke, this team thing-"

"Wait, what's Sasuke have to do with this?"

Naruto scowled. "That bastard has been avoiding me for months," he scoffed. "And he's letting the villagers get to him. It makes me sick."

"You shouldn't let how he deals with things bug you-"

"Of course it bugs me!" Naruto exclaimed. "He's my friend! And...and he's suffering, and I'm not there for him..." He looked up at Iruka. "Iruka-sensei, how can I even hope to take care of a baby-or a team for that matter-if I can't even help out one friend?"

Iruka's eyes softened. So that's what it was. The older man let a small reassuring smile grace his face. "Because you're Naruto." he said simply. "Your name itself brought hope to a world that desperately needed it. You've changed people for the better; you've helped create a better world. If there's anyone who is capable of helping Sasuke, it's you. After all, you did it once; what's one more time?"

"I guess," Naruto mumbled, knowing deep down that Iruka was right.

"Focus on Hinata and your baby for now, and then worry about Sasuke." Iruka advised. "Unlike a baby, he doesn't need to be taken care of; he can figure things out on his own. And if he can't...well he has you doesn't he?"

Naruto couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. Whether he knows it or not, that bastard is lost without me." he mused, chuckling to himself. He would beat some sense into Sasuke when he came back...and then he would help him to change how the villagers saw him.

"Don't think your off the hook just yet," Iruka added, an irritated tone to his voice.

"Hm?"

"You called my precious students some pretty awful names!"

"Ah, yeah, sorry about that..." Naruto murmured, scratching his cheek nervously. "It was sort of in the heat of the moment that I said it..."

" Of course." Iruka said, though there was no emotion to his voice, which instantly made Naruto nervous. "I'll keep that in mind."

"...Keep that in mind for what?"

"When I'm assigning teams."

"What?! No Iruka-sensei, wait!" Naruto begged. "Don't do anything rash! I said I was sorry!"

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"_Iruka-sensei!_"

Iruka couldn't keep the act up any longer and threw back his head laughing. "Relax, I would never exploit my students to get back at someone. I have to make the teams fair anyway."

Naruto relaxed, glad his former sensei wasn't actually mad enough to get back at him. "Of course..." Oh no, there was that menacing tone again. "If you make any of my students cry, well...you don't want to know what I'll do to you..."

Naruto gulped, not used to this scary side of Iruka. He would expect something like this from Tsunade baa-chan or Sakura-chan, but not his kind and caring sensei. Iruka and mean just didn't belong together at all.

"I-I promise I'll do my best," Naruto vowed. "And I'm sorry f-for what I said before."

Iruka smiled. "It's alright." he said. "Besides, I think this'll be good for you. After all, Tsunade-sama doesn't do anything without a reason."

"How can something like this be good for me? N-not that I have a problem with it, of course!"

"Well, you'll get practice." Iruka answered. Naruto tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Practice for what?"

"Being a leader. And being a father. If you come to care for your students as much as I care for them, then I guarantee that you'll come to love them like family."

Naruto thought back to what Kakashi had told him last night in the graveyard.

_"I was so angry and sticken with grief that I couldn't even see. It was like my world had gone complete dark, as if the sun had died. My teacher, the person that I had looked up to the most out of everyone in the village was dead."_

And then Naruto thought of his own master. Sure Jiraiya had been the world's biggest perv, but when push came to shove, Naruto had been glad to have him, and Naruto was surprised to realize how much pride he felt when the man had entrusted him with his mission.

_"Even I can tell that hatred is spreading. I wanted to do something about it...but I don't know what...But I believe, that someday the day will come when people will truly understand one another! And if I can't find the answer, it will be up to you to do it!"_

Kakashi had looked up to his father, just as Naruto looked up to Jiraiya, and to Iruka. Could he do the same as them? Could he instill as much faith and respect into his own students as his own teachers had done to him? Could he really come to feel the same love and pride for a student as he knew a sensei was supposed to feel?

The idea made him smile to himself. Maybe. Yeah, maybe he _could _do it. But he wouldn't know unless he tried. "Alright, Iruka-sensei!" he declared, jumping from his seat in his excitement. "I'll do it! I'll become a team leader!"

"I admire your resolve Naruto," Iruka deadpanned. "But it was already decided by Tsunade-sama anyway. You didn't really have a choice..."

"Oh."

*End*

Okay, first off, I wanna say I apologize profusely that Sasuke didn't make an appearance in this chapter! I was totally planning it-I even had half of the chapter written out-when I realized that a) I was totally making him OOC which is not something I wanted and b)the way I had written it, it was going well with what I had planned for the rest of the story. So I'm postponing Sasuke's appearance for a little while longer-rest assured though, I DO plan on having him in this story! So all you hardcore Sasuke fans out there, I'm so sorry please don't hate me! DX

Second, I do what to point out that I am caught up with the manga and yes I am aware that as of right now Obito is still alive. However, since I can't wait around to see what happens in the manga, I decided to take a creative liberty and make it so Obito dies after the final battle. In my opinion, I think that's where he's headed in the manga, though that's purely my own speculation. In my universe, he dies after the final battle, but despite being the cause for the war, he is still recognized by Kakashi and Naruto and the others as a hero, even though he had many mistakes.

Lastly, thank you so much for everyone who favorited and reviewed this story! I get a rush of joy every time I see someone enjoying what I worked so hard on so thank you so much! You guys are awesome!

Until next time!


	6. The Sun and the Rain

A/N: Okay, so I don't normally do this in the beginning, but I do want to point out that in this chapter, there are going to be a few OC's thrown into the mix. Think of it as a test run: if you guys don't really like it, they won't appear again, but if you do, then I'll consider adding them into another chapter. Regardless, they aren't too important to the plot of the story (if anything, you can consider this a filler chapter). Well, anyways, enjoy!

Chapter Six: The Sun and the Rain

Woken by the faint light that peered out from behind the closed curtains of the bedroom window, Naruto groggily sat up in bed and yawned, stretching his arms above his head as he did so. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, he glanced absent-mindedly at the clock positioned on the desk to his right. It took him a few stagnant moments of staring before the realization hit him like a punch to the face and his eyes grew wide with panic.

"Shit!" he hissed, now fully awake. He pulled the covers his body and leapt from the bed with as much haste as he could muster. In record time, he was dressed in his normal attire before remembering that no, he could not show up to the academy in a bright orange jumpsuit.

Cursing under his breath, the war hero stripped off his usual clothes and proceeded to dig around in his closet for the one article of clothing that was somehow managing to elude him. In a matter of seconds, his entire wardrobe was scattered across the floor, and he was still no closer to finding what he was searching for.

"Are you looking for this?" Naruto paused from rummaging and looked up to see Hinata, still dressed in her usual nighttime attire, an amused, yet endearing smile on her face. In her arms was a familiar green jacket, accompanied by a black jumper.

Feeling his panic die down at the sight of it, Naruto sighed in relief and stood up.

"Thanks, Hinata," Naruto smiled, taking the clothes from her. "I'm sorry I woke you."

"It's alright," his wife answered gently, before placing a hand on Naruto's arm. "I know you're a bit nervous about today, but do your best."

Naruto grinned. "Me? Nervous? I don't know what you're talking about!" he laughed. "Those kids won't know what hit 'em!" Despite his words, his expression softened. "I'll be just fine," he assured. "They're just a bunch of genin after all; how bad can they be?"

Hinata giggled into her hand. "I seem to recall a certain genin being known as the village troublemaker!"

Naruto pulled a face. "Hey, hey, that was a long time ago!" he defended. "And I don't think I was that bad, was I?"

Hinata didn't answer, instead leaning forward and placing a kiss on Naruto's cheek before walking back to their bed.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked, struggling into his jounin uniform. "Come on, answer me! Was I really that bad?"

His wife fell back into her usual sleeping position, pulling the covers over her.

"Hinata...are you ignoring me?" Naruto asked dryly.

When she didn't answer Naruto assumed that she had fallen back asleep and gave up. He left the room muttering to himself ("I definitely wasn't that bad..."), unaware of Hinata's giggling smile hidden beneath the covers.

* * *

"Alright! Let's do introductions!" Naruto exclaimed, grinning nervously at the three genin seated before him. All three of them looked rather unimpressed by him, and honestly, Naruto didn't blame them. They hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot so far.

As it turns out, Naruto had been much later waking up than he had first realized, and upon reaching the academy, was greeted by a slightly ticked off Iruka, who proceeded to tell him that not only was he almost half an hour late, but all the other genin had been picked up by their team leaders and were long gone. In his defense, Naruto blamed Kakashi's influence, seeing as the man had such poor time management and had not been present to defend himself at the time.

Walking into that classroom, the blond-haired ninja had been greeted a loud, and somewhat familiar shriek of rage from one of his three students, followed by an accusing finger being pointed in his direction. In all honesty, Naruto hadn't expected to be criticized by his students on the very first day, though he could understand their anger. He hadn't exactly been very patient himself when Kakashi had shown up nearly an hour late. Rough start aside, Naruto was determined to make a good impression on his students, which was what led them to their current position.

"Uh, should we just say our names?" One of the boys asked. Naruto noted that it was the same boy who had scolded him for being late.

"Yeah," he answered. "Just tell me about yourself. Your name, what you like to do, what you hate, goals; you decide! Let's start with you!" he added, looking to the boy.

"My name is Haru Miyazaki!" the bit replied, before scratching at his wild, orange hair in thought. "My likes...um, pranks!" he declared with a confident smirk. "And what I hate..."

_So far, so good,_ Naruto thought to himself, nodding.

"Ramen!"

"_WHAT?! HOW CAN YOU HATE RAMEN?!_" Naruto snapped in surprise. "It's the greatest thing on earth!"

"No it's not!" Haru cringed, sticking out his tongue in disgust. "It's gross!"

"Take that back, brat!"

"Make me, old man!"

"_Old man? _I'll have you know I'm not even thirty yet!"

"Still sounds pretty old to me."

"_Why you!_"

The bickering would have continued, if not for a loud cough that erupted over their voices.

"Sensei." Naruto paused, turning his head to see one of his other students looking at him rather irritably. "If it's not too much trouble, do you think we can just get back to the introductions now? I really don't want to be here all day."

Feeling somewhat embarrassed that he had allowed his emotions to get the better of him, Naruto nodded and cleared his throat. "A-anyways," he said. "Anything else to add?"

Haru puffed out his cheeks in annoyance. "No."

"Nothing else?" Naruto pressed, determined to make the kid take back what he said about his precious ramen.

"I'm good."

"You didn't forget to say anything? Maybe said something you regret, or something important you left out?"

"Um, no...Oh wait! I do have something else to say!" Haru exclaimed.

_I swear if this kid badmouths ramen again..._

"My goal is to become the greatest Hokage the village has ever seen!" Haru declared, and Naruto couldn't hide his shocked expression. Huh. What were the odds that he would have a student that shared the same goal as him? Now that he thought about it, aside from the obvious ramen-hating, Haru reminded Naruto a lot of himself. And if what he read in his academy file was true, then they were even more alike than the kid even knew.

Naruto didn't say anything to the boy, but nodded his head in approval. Things were getting interesting already!

He turned his head to the next genin, a girl with long silver hair, and bangs that obscured the right side of her face. "You're up next!." he replied.

The girl didn't say anything at first, her bright yellow eyes shifting nervously back and forth. When she finally did speak, it was in a quiet voice. "May I just say my name?" she asked, and Naruto got the distinct feeling that perhaps her personality was not unlike Hinata's when she was a genin.

Well, whatever. Naruto wasn't going to push her if she didn't want to talk.

"Yeah, go ahead." Naruto nodded.

"Midori Takahashi." she said in a voice a bit louder than before. Then she lowered her gaze back to the ground. Before turning to the third genin, Naruto thought he caught her narrowing her eyes, as if she were angry with herself. As if she did not wish to act this way.

The third student was another boy, this one short, black hair, and equally black eyes. He still looked at Naruto as if he were a terrible stain on his clothes. Not one to be put off by a stupid kid's glare, Naruto returned the look. "Your turn."

The boy sighed and sat up straighter. "I'm Genji Oda." he replied matter-of-factly, as if the whole ordeal of introducing himself was a bother. In some ways, he reminded Naruto of a Sasuke-esque Shikamaru. All of the attitude with none of the motivation.

"I don't really have much to say about things that I like, but if there's one thing that I hate in this world, it's my good-for-nothing father. My goal is to become the greatest ninja the world has ever known." After speaking, he folded his arms across his chest and proceeded to brood like before.

Naruto had kind of expected an answer like that, especially after reading the kid's file. In fact, it seemed all these kids had something to prove to the world, and it looked as though it was going to be up to him to give them the strength they would need to accomplish such powerful goals.

_ I wonder if this is how Kakashi-sensei felt when he first met us, _Naruto wondered. He was interrupted from his thoughts by his seemingly noisiest student.

"Genji, you bastard!" Haru shouted, jumping to his feet. "You totally stole my dream!"

"I did not," Genji said. "Your dream is to become Hokage, but my goal is to surpass even the Hokages themselves. Besides," he smirked at his teammate. "If you really wanna become Hokage, you gotta get through this guy first." He motioned his head to Naruto, who stared at the exchange, completely deadpanned.

"What's that even mean?!"

"Are you an idiot?"

_Ugh, no wonder Kakashi-sensei always showed up late to our meetings; it was so he didn't have to deal with this any longer than he had to._

Deciding to break up the argument before it turned into an unnecessary brawl, Naruto pushed off from the balcony railings he had been leaning against. Alright, that's enough, guys," he stated. "Besides, you're gonna want to conserve your energy."

"Why's that?" Midori shocked them by finally speaking up. Haru and Genji turned to Naruto as well, curiosity in their eyes.

"Because," Naruto answered, feeling an almost sinister grin curl across his face. "Tomorrow, you'll be introduced to hell!"

* * *

Long after he had had his fill of scaring his students and then instructing them not to eat the following morning, and where to meet up, Naruto found himself unexpectedly roped into a group dinner with the rest of the first time jounin leaders-consisting of Rock Lee, Chouji, Kiba, Ino, and Tenten-at the restaurant, Yakiniku Q. Despite not being team leaders, Sakura, Shikamaru and Hinata were also there, Hinata claiming that she had also gotten suddenly dragged off after running into Sakura in the streets.

"Honestly, Naruto," Sakura chided from across the booth. "It seems like you aren't spending enough time with Hinata lately!"

A blatant lie; Naruto spent the majority of his free time with Hinata, and when he was busy, he was always thinking of her wellbeing anyway, but he wasn't about to correct Sakura and risk an angry fist to the head.

"You can't exactly blame him," Ino spoke up, surprising coming to Naruto's defense. "You have no idea how tough it is looking after a team of genin."

"Oh _please,_" Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "You've only been at it one day; it can't be that hard for you, Ino."

"You wouldn't know, now would you, billboard brow?!" Ino snapped.

Sakura returned fire with another scathing insult, but by then, everyone else at the booth had chosen to ignore their usual spat-aside from Shikamaru, who unfortunately, was seated in between the two raging kunoichi.

"So Naruto-kun!" Rock Lee exclaimed, slapping an excited hand down on the table. "What are your students like? I guarantee that they are not as passionate or youthful as mine are!" Fire of a competitive nature burned in his eyes as he ignored Tenten's yell of "they're all the same age, you simpleton!".

"Uh, well," Naruto stammered. "They're interesting, to say the least. Watching them, is kind of nostalgic, ya know?"

"I do indeed!" Rock Lee declared. "I see the same fire in my student's hearts that I held when I too was a genin!"

"Speaking of," Shikamaru added from in between Sakura and Ino's bickering match. "I heard you have the girl from the Takahashi clan on your team. And the samurai's son."

"Yeah, that's right." Naruto replied with a nod.

"Takahashi clan? Samurai?" Sakura suddenly paused from her fight with Ino to join the conversation as all eyes-but Chouji's, whose attention lay solely on the food cooking before him-turned to Shikamaru. "What are you talking about?"

"Ah, well, it's not exactly common knowledge..." Shikamaru muttered, running the back of his neck.

"Oh, please!" Ino pressed, wrapping her arms around the genuis'. "You can trust us!"

"Yeah! Come on, man!" Kiba barked. "You can't just say something like that and not tell us!"

"I would also like to know a bit about Naruto-kun's students." Hinata added, sheepishly.

"Jeez, fine." Shikamaru sighed., shaking his head. "This is all so troublesome."

"Just spit it out already," Ino replied dryly, rolling her eyes.

"Well, I'm sure you all know about the Takahashi clan, right?"

"Yeah, that's the clan that's been growing in numbers pretty recently." Kiba said. "What about it?"

"Well, like the Hyuuga and Uchiha, the Takahashi have a Kekkei Genkai, the Akugan."

"The evil eye?" Tenten repeated.

"Yeah." Shikamaru continued. "I don't know all the details myself, but apparently the jutsu has the power to kill anyone who looks directly into it."

"That...sounds terrible," Sakura murmured, placing a hand over her mouth.

"Like I said though, I don't know all the details on it." Shikamaru said, before turning to Naruto. "No doubt you'll have your hands full with that one."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Though, compared to the other two, I may have more than enough trouble already." he laughed.

"Wait Shikamaru!" Chouji spoke up, pausing from his feast. "What about that samurai kid? That's not who I think it is, right?"

"No, it's him. Genji Oda, the son of a Konoha kunoichi and a wandering samurai."

"_Extraordinary!_" Rock Lee exclaimed. "He must have been exposed to a surplus of battle knowledge as a child!"

"Not exactly. His dad's not really in the picture anymore."

"Oh...how unfortunate."

Naruto suddenly let out a laugh. "Don't let their crummy pasts bother you!" he said, folding his hands behind his head. "All three of them are really determined from what I've seen so far."

"You've only known them a day," Sakura protested. "How could you possibly put that much faith into them? They still have a long way to go after all."

"Just a feeling." Naruto smiled.

"Just a feeling?"

"Yeah."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't get you sometimes." Over ten years they had been teammates, and still, Naruto always seemed to surprise her with his unwavering confidence in people. It came so easily to him while Sakura had struggles with it all her life. But then again, that faith in others was what made Naruto Naruto.

"Hey enough about that!" Kiba cried, lifting a sake cup in the air. "Let's toast to the new teams of Konoha!" The others followed his example and lifts up their cups.

"May the best team outshine all the others!" he declared, ignoring Shino's irritated stare.

"To the new generation of Konoha." Shikamaru said.

"To more youthful adventures to come!" Rock Lee cried joyfully.

"To the future." Naruto smiled, wrapping his arm around Hinata and squeezing her close.

"KAMPAI!"

* * *

"You're worried about something." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement.

Naruto frowned. "No, it's not that." He pulled on a clean t-shirt, glancing at Hinata from across their bedroom.

"But you _are_ thinking about something."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Naruto hesitated. It wasn't until a few months ago that he would have immediately confided in Hinata.

Now...well, he was just afraid that she would take it the wrong way and try to take his head off for it. Sighing, Naruto joined her in their bed, pulling the covers over them both. Rolling over on his side, he turned to her.

"All that talk back at the restaurant-about my team-got me thinking." he started, carefully analyzing each word. "All three of those kids had something happen to them in their pasts that brought them to this point. I mean, you should have seen them; Genji said himself that he hates his father more than anything, and Midori didn't say a whole lot, but I could tell that there was something holding her back. And Haru..." he paused. "Haru's just like I was. He's all alone, with no one to look out for him.

"And maybe it's just me saying something crazy, but I feel like I owe it to these kids to do right by them; to guide them and help them get stronger so they overcome their pasts. But I..."

"You don't think you can do it?" Hinata asked gently.

"How can I?" Naruto replied. "I can barely handle the idea of raising _one _kid; how can even think of adding _three more_ into the picture?"

He knew he was being stupid, and over-thinking things. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the fearful image in his head. The image of Haru turning into what Naruto always feared he himself would become, of Genji-so much like Sasuke-driven mad by an unattainable ambition for revenge, of Midori, trapped by her own powers, too afraid to live the way she wanted. It wasn't hard to see; one wrong move, and any one of them could fall down the same dark path that had driven Sasuke from the village, and almost consumed Naruto within his own hate.

For Naruto, there had been one single thing that had stopped him from sinking into the shadows or despair and hate-friendship. It had started with Iruka, and then Sasuke and Sakura and Kakashi, and had continued on until he was surrounded by friends, all of whom trusted and believed in him. If that's all it took to steer his students away from the same path, then Naruto knew he had to try.

But...could he really accomplish such a task all alone? He had already failed Sasuke once. He didn't know what he would do if something like that happened again.

"Naruto-kun." A gentle hand touched his cheek, halting all thought within in mind.

"You think too much," Hinata said with a smile. "I understand, though. You're afraid of letting your students down."

Her hand left his cheek and reached down to grasp his wrist. "But don't you remember?" she asked, pulling his hand below the covers to rest on her stomach. "During the ultrasound. Do you remember what I said?"

"Everything...changes." Naruto replied slowly. Hinata nodded. "There is always room for change in every living being." she murmured. "Just like our baby, growing in my belly, your students are changing every day. They're still young, with plenty of time to grow."

Naruto stared into Hinata's eyes, taking in her every word. "Each of them is like a little sapling in the beginning of spring. They'll eventually blossom into flowers, but they need care and nurture first. The sun, and the rain make them stronger, and help them to grow." Hinata leaned forward and pecked Naruto's lips. "Be their sun, Naruto-kun. Be their rain. I know that you will do your best to help them to grow, regardless of what type of flowers they become. And that goes for our child as well. You're already a great leader; I know you'll be a wonderful father as well."

Naruto couldn't believe how lucky he was. It seemed like every time he was on the verge of despair, Hinata was always able to pull him back out into the light again. He didn't know what he would do without her.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" Naruto asked, his hand leaving her stomach in favor of wrapping around her body and pulling her close. "Because I definitely should have by now."

Hinata giggled. "I'm sure you've mentioned it once or twice." she whispered.

"Well I'll be sure to say it much more often from now on." Resting his chin on top of her head, he smiled. "I love you, Hinata."

"I love you too, Naruto-kun."

*End*

I'm really proud of my little scene with Naruto and Hinata at the end; I usually suck at romantic scenes, but this one I like. Sorry about all the page breaks, btw eheheh. Like I said at the beginning, Naruto's students aren't essential to the plot at all; I just left like testing the waters with some new faces and see how it went. I know it seems to lean heavily towards the OC's in this chapter, but it's really more about Naruto accepting the fact that not everything is in his control, and that he shouldn't place all the responsibility on himself. I think it's kind of why he and Hinata work so well. Also, I know I made Naruto seem a little immature when he was interacting with his team, but in my opinion, I just feel like that's how he would act. Whether he's saved the ninja world or not, he's still the same knucklehead he always was (if the last few chapters of the manga don't convince you, I don't know what will!). Anyways, sorry there wasn't much baby talk in this chapter; I promise there will be more the next time! Please let me know what you think (don't be too harsh on my OC's i beg of you! DX)

Read and review! Till next time! :D


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